The Kingdom’s Greatest Fool? No, I’m the Ruler From the Darkness ~The Hidden Face of the Fat Prince~ - Chapter 28: Changing Relationships

Chapter 28: Changing Relationships

(Alexander POV)

Standing by the window, gazing into the distance, I sank into memories.

Eleanor now seems like a different person, she’s changed so much.

I recall that day—the summer ball at Leia’s house.

It was before we were engaged.

—

The splendid Braveheart mansion was bustling that night with nobles from across the kingdom.

The party hosted by the beautiful Leia was an annual event eagerly anticipated by many young nobles.

“Alexander, you’ll make us late.”

Turning at Eleanor’s voice, I saw her standing there in a crimson dress.

Under the moonlight, her blue eyes sparkled like ice crystals.

“Sorry, I was preparing the carriage.”

Eleanor tilted her chin slightly, giving a small scoff.

A characteristic gesture of hers back then.

“I figured you’d take too long, so I got ready early.”

Her attitude could be seen as haughty, but there was warmth in her eyes.

She gently placed her hand on my arm, and we headed to the carriage together.

Upon arriving at the Braveheart estate, we found many nobles already gathered.

Eleanor’s presence naturally drew their gazes.

Known as the “flower of high society,” she had an aura that transformed the atmosphere.

“Eleanor! You’re finally here!”

Leia, her red hair flowing, rushed over and hugged Eleanor joyfully.

“Sorry for being late, Leia.”

Eleanor’s usually cool tone softened in Leia’s presence.

The two childhood friends shared a special bond.

“Don’t worry! I’m just glad you came. Thank you, Alexander.”

Leia flashed me a smile.

Her sincere eyes always put me at ease.

As the party began, young nobles quickly gathered around Eleanor.

Her beauty and grace captivated many men.

“Miss Eleanor, may I have the next dance?”

A young earl’s son from the southern territories bowed courteously as he asked.

“I decline.”

Eleanor’s response was firm, even cold.

“But at the last party, you promised…”

“I don’t recall. Perhaps you’re mistaken?”

As the young man retreated, looking flustered, she glanced at me and gave a small smile.

“Dancing with anyone but you is boring.”

Though we weren’t yet engaged, her words secretly thrilled my heart.

As the night wore on, the same scene repeated.

Many noble sons approached Eleanor, only to be coldly rebuffed.

Her beauty drew them in, and her sharpness couldn’t keep them away.

“Another rejection?”

Leia approached Eleanor with a glass of wine.

“They’re not interested in me, just the Frostheart family’s wealth.”

Eleanor spoke coolly but softened her expression.

“Besides…”

“Besides?”

Leia asked, her face full of curiosity. Eleanor glanced at me, her cheeks faintly flushed.

“It’s a secret.”

Our intimate exchange.

Eleanor, dubbed the “ice maiden” behind her back in high society, showed her true self to her friend.

That contrast deepened her charm.

As the orchestra prepared the next piece in the party’s center, I found myself in a predicament.

“Lord Alexander, may I have the next dance?”

Iris Rosemary, an eastern noble, asked with a cute smile.

Her golden curls gleamed in the light, her pale pink dress accentuating her charm.

“No, Lord Alexander is supposed to dance with me.”

Viola Bluebell, a southern lord’s daughter, cut in.

Her clear blue eyes, like gems, looked at me with expectation and fervor.

“Uh…”

As I fumbled for words, two, then three more young ladies approached.

Each was renowned for beauty in high society, their manners elegant.

I could find no reason to refuse any of them.

“Who will Lord Alexander dance with?”

“The next dance with me, the one after with you, and then…”

Their voices overlapped, and I couldn’t help but smile despite my confusion.

Searching for Eleanor, I saw her watching me coolly from a distance.

I sent a small signal, as if pleading, “Help me.”

But Eleanor merely shrugged lightly and disappeared into the crowd.

No help, no words.

“Well…”

I turned back to the ladies.

“If you don’t mind, one by one…”

Having lost sight of Eleanor, I ended up dancing several pieces with different ladies.

First with Iris, then Viola, and then Camilla, the daughter of the Northern earl.

Each was charming, their conversation enjoyable, their dancing superb.

After dancing with Camilla, I finally caught my breath.

“Where did Eleanor go…?”

I scanned the room, searching for her.

Why had she left me behind?

Usually, she’d ward off other women with a cold glare.

Spotting Eleanor and Leia a bit away from the crowd, I moved to approach but hesitated.

From the balcony entrance, I saw them talking, relaxed, enjoying each other’s company.

Seeing Eleanor so at ease was rare lately.

“I’m so glad you came, Eleanor.”

Leia’s voice carried on the breeze.

“Of course. How could I miss my best friend’s party?”

I couldn’t help but smile.

Eleanor, who rarely softened for anyone, showed Leia a special kindness.

That contrast enhanced her charm.

“You came with Alexander. You two really suit each other.”

Hearing my name, my ears perked up.

“He’s just escorting me. But…”

My heart beat faster as Eleanor hesitated.

I was desperate to know what she was about to say.

“But you’re interested, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not…”

Leia’s teasing tone met Eleanor’s denial.

I gave a wry smile.

Typical of her.

Their conversation shifted to childhood memories.

“Do you remember? The day we first met.”

“Of course. You were stuck in a tree, crying because you couldn’t get down.”

“Oh! Not that story! Don’t bring up such embarrassing memories!”

Leia protested, and Eleanor laughed elegantly.

I loved seeing her laugh so freely like this.

“I was such a tomboy back then.”

“Tomboy doesn’t cover it. Your dress was covered in mud, twigs in your hair. More like a forest sprite than a girl.”

Imagining Leia’s childhood, I smiled.

It suited her. Even now, her swordsmanship rivaled skilled male knights.

“Aral, if we’re talking memories, I’ve got one for you.”

Leia’s voice turned mischievous.

This sounded like an interesting story, so I decided to keep listening.

“What?”

“Eleanor Frostheart, age ten.”

I saw Eleanor’s face freeze for a moment.

Was this a bad memory?

“Stop it, Leia. That was an accident.”

Eleanor’s voice held a hint of panic.

Rare to see her flustered.

“It wasn’t an accident.”

Leia laughed softly.

“You were deliberate. You kept telling Robert Greenfield’s son, ‘I’ve never seen a man as pathetic as you,’ or ‘You’re the furthest thing from a gentleman,’ until he cried.”

“He told you girls shouldn’t hold swords first!”

Eleanor’s retort made Leia laugh harder.

“He was eight! You completely crushed him until he cried. Poor thing.”

“Hmph, he deserved it. Just teaching a boy who looks down on women a lesson.”

Eleanor’s haughty tone made them both burst into laughter.

“But you were pretty awful too. You told James Hartwood’s son, ‘Your training is child’s play. Training without sweat isn’t training. You’ll never beat me, you weakling,’ while forcing him to ‘train.’”

Eleanor’s comeback made Leia blush.

“That was… well…”

“Because of that, he ran away every time he saw you for a while.”

“Well, if you’re going there, you told Edward Silverleaf his nose looked like a pig’s!”

“That was true! It still does!”

Listening to their banter, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

I could picture their childhood selves vividly.

“At this rate, we’ll run out of embarrassing childhood stories.”

Eleanor sighed.

“You’re right. Let’s stop this pointless fight.”

Leia agreed, and they clinked their wine glasses.

“By the way…”

Leia turned toward me and smiled.

“Alexander, we know you’re eavesdropping.”

It was too late by the time I realized.

Both their gazes fixed on me, Eleanor’s eyes tinged with slight displeasure.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

I stepped onto the balcony, a bit embarrassed.

“How much did you hear?”

Eleanor’s voice carried a hint of caution.

“From the part about Leia getting stuck in a tree.”

I pretended not to have heard them talking about me.

“Well, Alexander,”

Leia said with a mischievous smile.

“What do you think of our childhood stories? Who was the naughtier kid?”

That was a tough question.

Siding with either would upset the other.

“Let’s see…”

I chose my words carefully.

“You both caused trouble in your own ways. Eleanor with her words, Leia with her actions.”

“That’s sneaky.”

They said in unison, exchanging glances.

But their eyes sparkled with amusement.

“Anyway, childhood stories don’t matter.”

Eleanor gracefully brushed her hair back.

“We’re proper ladies now.”

Her words made Leia meet her eyes, and they both burst into laughter, unable to hold it in.

I couldn’t help but smile too.

I loved this moment.

Eleanor, genuinely enjoying herself.

The comfort her friendship with Leia brought her.

And this peaceful time we three shared.

“Alexander, what are you thinking about?”

Eleanor’s voice snapped me back.

“Nothing. Just hoping your friendship lasts forever.”

My words made them exchange surprised looks before smiling at each other.

“Of course,”

Eleanor said quietly.

“No matter what.”

Her words felt like a promise for the future.

But I couldn’t know.

Whether that promise would hold.

Near the party’s end, Hector, the son of an eastern baron, approached Eleanor, visibly drunk.

“Miss Eleanor, why won’t you accept my dance? I’ve asked three times, but I won’t give up.”

He grabbed her arm forcefully.

I stepped forward, but Eleanor handled it herself.

“For a baron’s son, you lack manners.”

Her voice was icy, her blue eyes sharp.

“Let go. Or your standing here will be at risk.”

The air seemed to freeze.

Hector, face red, reluctantly released her arm.

“Arrogant woman…”

He muttered as he walked away.

Eleanor watched him go coldly before returning to me.

“Ugh… so persistent… I’ve refused him multiple times. Shall we head home?”

Her voice softened again.

On the way back, in the carriage, she gazed out the window, looking tired.

“It’s always tough, isn’t it?”

When I spoke, she gave me a slightly surprised look.

“What is?”

“Dealing with so many suitors.”

She fell silent, as if pondering, then answered quietly.

“They don’t know the real me. They only see me as a trophy.”

“You seemed to enjoy dancing with those ladies?”

Her voice carried a hint of sarcasm.

“I was looking for you after you disappeared.”

“You looked plenty happy without me.”

In the moonlight, her face wore an unreadable, mask-like expression.

“Why did you leave when I was struggling?”

“You seemed busy.”

Eleanor’s reply was flat, almost cold.

“If you’d said something when they approached…”

“What should I have said? ‘He’s escorting me, stay away’?”

Her voice held a trace of irritation.

“Not that… I just wanted you to stay with me.”

My words softened her expression slightly.

But she quickly reverted to her cold demeanor.

“You looked like you were enjoying yourself with them. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Did it look that way?”

“Yes. Especially with Iris. When she said something, you laughed genuinely.”

Her voice seemed to carry a faint jealousy, though it might’ve been my imagination.

“That was just courtesy. It’s different with you…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

She cut me off.

“That’s how high society works. It’s natural for you to get along with everyone.”

“But you…”

“I just wanted to talk to Leia. Let’s drop this.”

“Wait. What are you really thinking?”

She looked surprised, then sighed.

“…Sometimes, I think you’d be happier marrying someone else.”

Her words shocked me.

“Why would you say that?”

“I’m cold. Everyone says so. Called the flower of high society, but it’s only surface. Inside, I’m ice.”

A rare vulnerability shone in her eyes.

“That’s not true. Your coldness is part of you. I love all of you…”

I stopped short.

Not yet formally engaged, it might be too soon for those words.

“What?”

Her eyes caught mine.

“…I care about you deeply.”

Adjusting my words, I saw her give a faint, fleeting smile, beautiful in its fragility.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“But I won’t change. I’ll always be cold.”

“That’s fine.”

I gripped her hand tightly.

“I love you as you are.”

Eleanor’s cheeks flushed slightly.

But she quickly regained her usual haughty expression.

“Dance with me at the next party.”

She spoke in her usual tone, but her hand squeezed mine back firmly.

“Of course.”

In the moonlight, her smile was more beautiful than I’d ever seen.

“Thank you, Alexander.”

That night, our bond deepened.

And a few months later, we were formally engaged.

—

Stepping away from the window, I let out a deep sigh.

The Eleanor of that time—haughty yet sincere, cold yet open with friends.

That radiance has vanished from her now.

“What happened, Eleanor…?”

Lost in thought, I muttered softly.

Her recent behavior worries me endlessly.

It all started when her family’s debt issues surfaced.

She’s become a completely different person.

The old Eleanor was brimming with confidence, sometimes excessively proud.

Her conduct in high society was flawless, the undisputed “flower of high society.”

I loved her, including her haughtiness.

But now, she’s like a shadow, always seeming afraid.

“Especially since her interactions with that prince…”

Frowning, I recall.

The day Prince Victor donated to the Frostheart family, I was searching for them in the courtyard.

The prince was supposedly looking at flowers in the bushes.

Thinking about it now, a prince searching for flowers in the bushes? It felt utterly incongruous.

And that triumphant smirk of his.

Something was off.

I closed my eyes, remembering when I visited Eleanor’s room.

The first thing I noticed was an unusual tension.

Eleanor’s face was pale, her eyes red and swollen.

She had clearly been crying.

And when I tried to embrace her, her body stiffened, and the terrified expression when she refused my kiss.

“Wait a moment…”

Suddenly, I recalled a small detail.

Eleanor, perhaps from the courtyard walk, smelled slightly of sweat.

And her breath, usually sweet and gentle, had a raw, almost animalistic odor.

Her flushed face.

Her dress, dirtied at the knees.

What happened?

“No way…”

A horrifying thought struck me.

Her terrified expression, her refusal to kiss, the dirt on her knees, the bad breath… the implications tightened my chest.

“No, the noble Eleanor wouldn’t… I’m despicable for even thinking this…”

I gripped my glass, my hand trembling.

Anger and fear swirled within me.

“She’s hiding something…”

I let out a deep sigh.

A knock at the study door pulled me from my thoughts.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and my father, Duke Edward, entered.

“Alexander, I’ve been looking for you.”

Seeing Father, I frowned further.

Lately, he’s been acting strange too.

Always looking tired, behaving as if afraid of being watched.

The dignified duke he once was is gone.

“What is it, Father?”

“A letter from Earl Silver.”

He handed me a letter.

I took it reluctantly.

Earl Silver.

That name again.

I can’t shake the feeling he’s behind all our troubles.

Now the head of a leading merchant guild and a moneylender, many nobles owe him.

And not a few houses have fallen because of those debts.

“What’s it about?”

“Regarding interest payments. He’s refusing our request to extend the deadline.”

I furrowed my brow.

“But the contract said payments start in six months, didn’t it?”

“It seems the terms were changed. I… overlooked it.”

Regret and shame mixed in Father’s voice.

I found it odd.

Father always scrutinized contracts meticulously.

Him missing a term was unthinkable.

“How…”

“My mistake.”

Father spoke firmly.

I couldn’t argue, despite feeling something was wrong.

“How much is the interest?”

“One hundred thousand gold coins.”

I caught my breath.

For one month, it was an outrageous amount.

“Why such a high rate…”

“The earl says it’s reasonable given market conditions.”

Resignation tinged Father’s voice.

I couldn’t contain my anger.

“This is near fraud! We should appeal to the king!”

“We can’t!”

Father’s sharp retort startled me.

His face contorted in pain.

“We have no right… I signed the contract.”

Something was off.

I felt it instinctively.

Father was hiding something crucial.

Fear lingered in his eyes.

The renowned Duke Granblue, afraid of something.

“Father, is there something else…”

“Enough!”

Father cut me off sharply.

“We’ll pay. We’ll need to sell the southern mines.”

I was speechless.

The southern mines were a key income source for the Granblue family.

A precious inheritance from my mother’s grandfather.

Losing it would worsen our finances further.

“Isn’t there another way…”

“There isn’t!”

Father left the room.

Left behind, my mind was filled with confusion and unease.

Both Father and Eleanor are hiding something.

And surely, they’re connected.

“What’s going on…?”

Returning to the window, I looked at the darkening sky.

The family’s debts are mounting, my relationship with Eleanor is fraying, and Father harbors secrets.

Everything is unraveling.

And behind it all, two shadows loom.

Earl Silver and Prince Victor.

What are they plotting?

And what role does Eleanor play in it?

“I have to uncover the truth…”

I steeled my resolve.

I needed to find out what was happening.

To protect Eleanor, to protect our family.

The last thing I saw from the window was the stars beginning to shine in the night sky.

Cold and distant, as if refusing to answer my questions.

But no matter how dark the night, morning always comes.

With that hope in my heart, I closed my thoughts for the night.

Tomorrow, I’ll see Eleanor.

And I’ll do everything to open her heart.

I can’t lose her.

Absolutely not.